


Try Your Luck

by DValkyrie



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, Gambling, Love Live Big Bang 2016, Smoking, Vegas!AU, nozopana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:00:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8437723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DValkyrie/pseuds/DValkyrie
Summary: There's a famous saying "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Will it apply to some normal, shy girl on a business trip?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> 'Sup?
> 
> This is written for the Love Live Big Bang (which was honestly such a pain in the ass,) but hey it's finally done.
> 
> Being partnered with @sweetsweetholiday was great. They did some drawings to go with this fic, and you can view them here:  
> http://sweetsweetholiday.tumblr.com/post/152578848490/my-pieces-for-lovelivebigbang-my-partner-was-the
> 
> Personally, I think this fic is different to the stuff I usually write. It's shorter and more fast-paced, but that's just a stylistic choice.

Having been blessed with the window seat and in-flight wifi, Koizumi Hanayo had nothing to worry about...except for maybe the plane crashing, going into turbulence, being held hostage by a madman or losing her shoe underneath her seat.  
  
Currently going through her disgustingly cute slides for the umpteenth time while her speech played out in her head, Hanayo stretched out her neck and did her best to ignore the rumbling snores from the dormant volcano that was her business partner and best friend, Hoshizora Rin.  
  
The plane trip was not long, only a couple of hours, but the two would have to bolt from the airplane to the courtesy taxi and head straight to their meeting. So Hanayo wanted to be as prepared as she could be before the mad rush started and before Rin would awake and erupt.  
  
_“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are getting ready to land in a few minutes, so please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. Thank you for flying with us today.”_  
  
Sure enough, the second the plane touched down, Rin had jolted awake. With a snort and a ‘nya!’ Ruffled her hair and blinked the mass of sleep from her eyes.  
  
“Mornin Kay...shpin,” her voice was still slurring from sleep, but Hanayo didn’t seem to mind. Rin would be fully functioning within the next thirty seconds.  
  
Hanayo still leaned over and adjusted the yellow tie her co-worker was wearing.  
  
“It’s actually just past noon, Rin-chan,” Hanayo corrected her with a smile, but squeaked when the plane hit the ground. The sound of the wheels screeching made Hanayo scrunch up her face and clasp her hands over her ears.  
  
“There’s nyathing to worry about Kayo-chin,” it was Rin’s turn to smile as she placed a hand on Hanayo’s lap.  
  
“We’re on the ground, safe and sound,” Rin went for a sing-song tone as the plane slowed down drastically.  
  
Upon being stationary, the seatbelt sign flicked off and the passengers began their automatic routine of getting off the plane. Hanayo and Rin stood up and stretched, feeling the static in their legs and their sleeping feet waking up.

* * *

  
  
With their bags collected and breath freshened from tic tacs, the two young businesswomen scurried out of the terminal and peered around for their valet. Upon finding the sign that said _‘The Ricest Ramen,’_ the two followed the valet and were loaded up into a small taxi.  
  
They went straight to their meeting a planned, delivered the presentation, and then headed back to their hotel. The boss had said that they were being put up in a nice place.  
  
Hanayo did not expect a palace.  
  
Her jaw dropped upon seeing the gigantic white structure. Rin looked like she was about to cry from joy. Their company new how to treat them well, but this was just insane.  
  
“Caesar’s Palace,” the valet put the taxi in park and helped them with their bags. He was also nice enough to help them check in, since Rin was just about ready to sprint around the entire lobby and Hanayo looked on the verge of fainting. After saving the valet’s number to their phones, Rin led Hanayo to the elevator and punched the ‘up’ button.  
  
“This place is huge! It’s probably bigger than our apartment building, old high-school and parent’s houses combined!” Rin was practically bursting at the seams with excitement.  
  
Hanayo just looked around, worried about the inevitable aspect of getting lost in this huge place.

“So, what did you wannya do tonight, Kayo-chin?” Rin rested her chin on her hands as she lay stomach first on the bed that was bigger than her bedroom at home. Hanayo sat at her computer, noting down the feedback from their business presentation earlier that day.  
  
“I’d actually like to have room service and stay in, maybe watch a movie,” was the meek answer that made Rin pout.  
  
“Kayo-chin, we’re in Las Vegas! The city that never sleeps! We should be going out and having fun!”  
  
“Rin-chan we have to present tomor-”  
  
But Rin had already grabbed Hanayo’s hand and dragged her out of the room.

* * *

 

In order to please Hanayo, Rin took them both to dinner and a show within the palace. What she had failed to realise was that the show consisted of sitting at a round table eating gigantic portions of food while watching girls in very revealing clothing and gigantic feathers parade around on the stage with their legs kicking out.  
  
“I never knew someone could bend their body like that! That blonde one and the one with that weird thing in her hair were nyamazing!” Rin gushed and went on to babble about what they had just seen as they left the hall. Hanayo was full from dinner, but Rin had other plans.  
  
“R-Rin-chan, I _really_ don’t want to go to the casino,” Hanayo whined, digging her heels into the ground in protest.  
  
“C’mon Kayo-chin! Rin wants to try the slot machines!” Rin dragged her through the large archway.  
  
It was no use, Rin was just too strong for the girl who could barely do one chin up in physical education back at highschool.  
  
They were in the casino, and Hanayo instantly thanked God that she wasn’t epileptic. Flashing lights, vibrant colours, every three seconds there was a ‘ding!’ from a machine.  
  
“Rin-chan, this place is giving me a heada-” Hanayo turned to look at Rin, but her orange-haired friend was no longer by her side. She had dashed off to the slot machine area, leaving Hanayo all alone.  
  
With a whine, Hanayo retracted into herself, not wanting to stay. She fumbled in her pocket for the card key to her room, but whined again upon realizing that she had given it to Rin.  
  
There wasn’t anything for her to do: she couldn’t go back to her room, she was too scared to go out of the hotel (she couldn’t even find the damn exit,) and there was no way in hell that she would go to the slot machines.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Hanayo spotted some tables. Her mind connected tables with chairs and a spot to sit and wait.  
  
Like a baby doe, she stumbled over to the right where the tables were.  
  
Upon inspection, Hanayo found the tables were not the regular cafe tables she was expecting. They also had no chairs. People were standing around the tables looking hungry, but there was no food on the tables. Just a green rectangle with a table and red and black squares. Next to the rectangle was a black bowl. Most of the tables were full, except for one in the very left corner of the area.  
  
Only one person was standing there, and Hanayo felt her heart do a backflip.  
  
The person was female, and seemed a little bit taller than Hanayo. She had dark purple hair in a long side braid and gleaming turquoise eyes. She wasn’t wearing a dress, like the majority of females in the casino, but a white shirt with a black vest and a little purple bowtie that Hanayo thought was extremely cute. There was a cheshire-like grin on her face as she played with a small round object with her fingers.  
  
The woman caught Hanayo look at her, and she winked. Hanayo might as well have been shot.  
  
“Well g’evenin’, ma’am,” her voice had a strange vernacular and was slightly nasally.  
  
“H-H-Hello,” Hanayo’s small stutter was all she could muster. The twinkle in the woman’s eye was making it hard to focus.  
  
“Would ya care for a game of roulette?”  
  
The quizzical look made the woman’s grin broaden.  
  
“Here, I’ll show ya how to play, dollface,” the woman flicked the small plastic object at Hanayo, who fumbled three times before catching. It was a little green token.  
  
“Place that little fella anywhere ya want on the table,” a hand gestured to the table.  
  
Hanayo looked down at all the numbers and writing, plus two squares of black and red. With a shaking hand, she placed the token down on the red square.  
  
“A safe play, hey?” The woman moved forward a bit, and her nametag glinted in the light.  
  
Nozomi.  
  
“I don’t know...I...um,” Hanayo looked away, and Nozomi just chuckled.  
  
“So now, I spin this little guy,” Nozomi threw the ball into the bowl and the loud noise made Hanayo cover her ears.  
  
“Don’t worry, ya get used to it,” Nozomi winked. The ball slowed and landed on the number nine.  
  
“Red nine, ya win!” Nozomi slapped her hand against the table and beamed at Hanayo.  
  
“Ya just won a dollar.”  
  
“A-A-A dollar?” Hanayo couldn’t process it. She had never won anything in her life.  
  
“One whole dollar because ya outside bet paid off,” The croupier flicked a coin in Hanayo’s direction, and the other girl fumbled to catch it.  
  
Violet eyes peered at the coin, akin to a dragon observing their treasure. Nozomi’s lip curled more as she pushed another pile of tokens towards Hanayo.  
  
“Wouldya care to go again just for fun? No real bets?”  
  
Hanayo looked from the shiny gold coin to the green tokens on the table. She wasn’t going to be finding Rin anytime soon, and she would easily get lost if she were to venture deeper into the hollows of this ridiculously huge palace.  
  
“Sure,” Hanayo smiled back and leaned on her hip to get comfortable.  
  
“Nozomi, are you behaving yourself?” A deep, serious voice sounded as a woman with long blue hair in a ponytail walked up to the roulette table. Her arms were folded and her brown eyes cast a steady gaze at the croupier.  
  
“Of course I am, Umi-chan, why wouldn’t I?” Nozomi waved her hand and feigned as much innocence as she could. Hanayo didn’t see why she was doing this, Nozomi had not done anything to hurt her.  
  
The woman named Umi raised a pierced eyebrow, then turned her gaze to Hanayo, who squeaked.  
  
“Is she bothering you?”  
  
“N-No not at all! She’s teaching me how to play roulette,” Hanayo stammered and balled her hands into fists out of fear.  
  
Umi eyed her, then turned back to Nozomi, who batted her eyelashes coquettishly.  
  
“Very well, but if Nozomi gives you any trouble, please let me know,” Umi bowed, the walked away coolly.  
  
Nozomi stuck her tongue out then turned back to Hanayo with a chuckle.  
  
“Umi-chan is very much a stick in the mud, nor does she give me enough credit.”  
  
Hanayo shrugged and fiddled with the tokens on the table. She then took a deep breath and put her token on the ODD square.  
  
“Aaah, ya placin’ a bet I see,” Nozomi grinned and got ready to spin the ball again.  
  
“By the way, may I ask for ya name, dollface?”  
  
“I-It’s Koizumi. Koizumi Hanayo,” Hanayo stuttered out her own name as Nozomi spun the ball.  
  
“Hanayo-chan, what a pretty name for a pretty girl such as yaself,” Nozomi winked. She then gestured to her gleaming name badge.  
  
“Name’s Nozomi,”  
  
“Nice to meet you,” Hanayo bowed as the ball slowed and landed on fourteen black.  
  
“Oh no, looks like ya didn’t get an odd number, that’s unlucky, Hanayo-chan,” Nozomi took the token off the table and placed it in the corner.  
  
“Lucky there’s no money involved right now. Didya want to keep goin’?”  
  
“Yes please,” Hanayo smiled and placed down another token.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanayo didn’t know how she ended up back in her hotel room. She was lying face down on her pillow, her whistling inhaling and exhaling from her nostrils made it difficult to properly breathe.  
  
Her head felt heavy, but she didn’t recall drinking anything. When she sat up like some robot with barely any juice in the tank, her pockets felt heavier than usual.  
  
Upon investigation, Hanayo found a various amount of green tokens, and her heart sank. She was now a thief, an outlaw, she was going to be thrown in jail for stealing.  
  
To top it off, she saw the clock on her bedside table: 9:15am.  
  
With a terrified squeak, Hanayo scrambled to her feet and then dived onto the bed next to her.  
  
“Rin-chan! Rin-chan get up! We have a meeting in fifteen minutes!”  


* * *

  
  
Despite showing up with pink cheeks, ruffled clothing and lopsided glasses, Hanayo and Rin did their meeting with no major flaws. They were asked to consult with their boss about the deal, which they would do when they got back to the hotel.  
  
As the two stepped out of the office building, the sun cracked down its heat on them like a whip to livestock. Hanayo instantly felt her hair deflate and stick itself to her sweaty forehead while Rin took off her suit jacket.  
  
“I think that could nyave gone better, but at least the proposal is in the works,” Rin gave a thumbs up to match her optimism.  
  
Hanayo nodded, but she thought about all the graphic work she’d have to do after talking with her boss. It was going to take up a lot of time, and it would be difficult because she didn’t have her tablet with her.  
  
Hanayo continued to mull over the changes all the way back to the hotel. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t see the person who was standing in front of her.  
  
“Oh!”  
  
Rin had seen the person and moved around them. Hanayo adjusted her glasses and looked up at the source of the squeaky voice.  
  
Her jaw dropped.  
  
The woman was around the same age as her, maybe a bit older. She wore a white tutu attached to a white corset with mint green details. Her long, ash coloured hair was down, but on top of her head was a headpiece that reminded Hanayo of a peacock, except the feathers were white and green. The headpiece was _huge,_ and Rin had to stand about two metres away so that she didn’t get in its way.  
  
“I’m so sorry!” Hanayo bowed, but the showgirl just chuckled and waved the apology away as if it were a cloud.  
  
“Don’t worry! I bump into heaps of people wearing this,” she gestured a gloved hand up and down her attire with a giggle.  
  
Hanayo and Rin were still staring at her - that outfit seemed very heavy, and judging from her toned arms, she must be really strong to be able to walk around in the vegas heat with everything on.  
  
“Remember, you can look for free, but touching will cost you~” Her singsong tease got both of them back to focus.  
  
Hanayo and Rin were about to protest that they had no intention of touching the showgirl when a pair of heels clacked along the street.  
  
A new figure showed up, and Hanayo instantly squeaked in fear.  
  
The figure was also a woman, wearing a corset that [looked like a tuxedo](http://assets.yandycdn.com/Products/CO_M2241_fv_CST2013.jpg) with a pair of shorts that shouldn’t even be called shorts. Her ‘shorts,’ garterbelt, fishnets and gloves her black. On top of her head was a black top hat tilted to the side. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail and her fierce blue eyes locked onto Rin and Hanayo.  
  
Hanayo was fairly certain she was medusa reincarnated.  
  
“Who touched her,” her voice was ice, and she tapped a cane against the palm of her gloved hand.  
  
The saleswomen flew into panic, babbling that they didn’t lay a finger on the showgirl and waving their hands around.  
  
The showgirl giggled and nudged the other woman’s side.  
  
“Relax, Eli-chan, I was just teasing them,” she then turned back to the two hummed in thought.  
  
“Hey, I think I know you two. You were at the dinner show last night, no?”  
  
“We were,” Rin awkwardly turned to Hanayo, eyes bugging out of her skull from fear as to what the feathered girl was thinking.  
  
“You two seemed to really enjoy it! It was nice to see some fresh faces and not the usual crowd. Eli-chan here is too focused on the numbers to pay attention to the crowd,”  
she nudged the woman named Eli’s side again, who just rolled her eyes and fiddled with the cane she was holding.  
  
“You keep messing up the timing because you get lost in the crowd and the clouds, Kotori,” Eli sighed and adjusted a feather on the showgirl’s head. Kotori waved a hand and then turned back to Hanayo and Rin.  
  
“Would you two like to a front row table for free tonight? You seem like lovely people,” her smile was huge, and Rin found it hard to say ‘no’ to.

* * *

 

“How do they get their legs so high in the air?!” Rin bounced out of the theatre that night full of excitement after what she had just seen.  
  
It was the same show as before, but there was a burlesque theme. It included an act between Eli and Kotori involving a carousel, a large martini glass and a basket of feathers. Hanayo wasn’t sure how Eli was able to spin around in a giant martini glass with such elegance, nor how Kotori could straddle a carousel horse so easily. Hanayo’s face turned red again at how the two showgirls had intertwined their bodies and flirtatiously interacted onstage while the men in the crowd whooped and hollered.  
  
“Practice?” Hanayo offered, and Rin just laughed again with a snort. She had two whiskeys during the show and her low alcohol tolerance was taking a toll on the energetic woman.  
  
“Hey Kayo-chin, let’s go to the casino nyagain!” Rin grabbed Hanayo’s hand and dragged her back to the slot machines.  
  
Hanayo instantly resisted, but them remembered the croupier she had met the previous night.  
  
_‘If I can find Nozomi again, then Rin-chan can go off on her slot machines...but is it safe to leave Rin-chan alone?’_ Hanayo’s thought snowballed as the bright lights of the machines came into view.  
  
Violet eyes peered around for a head of purple hair, but instead they landed on a familiar woman with her arms folded as she observed the slot machine players like a hawk.  
  
With all the strength she could muster, Hanayo tried to change Rin’s route by pulling on her hand to go towards the security guard Hanayo had also met last night. However, Rin was too strong, and sure enough, she had escaped Hanayo’s grip and bolted towards the slot machines like a drunken greyhound from the way she teetered in her movements.  
  
With a sigh, Hanayo approached the security guard, quickly reading her ID lanyard - Umi.  
  
“Excuse me?” Hanayo cursed herself for her soft voice, but Umi heard nonetheless.  
  
She turned to face Hanayo with a kind gaze.  
  
“Ah, you’re that new girl from last night. What’s wrong? Did Nozomi do something?” The security guard’s expression darkened and Hanayo could practically see the desire for bloodshed in her eyes.  
  
“N-No! She hasn’t done anything!” Hanayo flailed, and Umi’s expression softened again.  
  
“Good. So what can I help you with?” She unfolded her arms and let a small grin twitch at her lips.  
  
Hanayo gulped and let the bucket dump cold, wet guilt through her nervous system.  
  
“My friend Rin-chan, the one with the short orange hair,” Hanayo gestured to the woman in question, who was finding it hard to balance on the stool of her slot machine.  
  
“She, um...cannot hold her alcohol too well and...I…”  
  
“Would you like me to monitor her?” Umi finished Hanayo’s request for her.  
  
Hanayo nodded and reached into her purse for her wallet.  
  
Umi waved a hand, “You do not have to pay me, it is my job to monitor the casino floor.”  
  
Hanayo thanked Umi anyway, and then asked for directions to where Nozomi was.  
  
“I think she’s back on the roulette tables,” Umi pointed to the area, and after the two exchanged numbers, Hanayo flitted off to find the croupier.

* * *

 

The table games seemed more occupied as Hanayo darted through the crowds anxiously. Weaving in and out of the excited gamblers was making her nervous.  
  
Finally, she saw the head of purple hair at the same roulette table. Once again, it was unoccupied. The roulette table was set up, but there was a deck of cards next to Nozomi’s right hand.  
  
Turquoise eyes caught sight of violet and instantly illuminated.  
  
“Hanayo-chan!” Nozomi greeted the young girl with a twinkling grin as Hanayo stumbled over to the table and grabbed the side like it was the only support she had available.  
  
“N-Nozomi...good evening,” she managed to get out as she straightened up. Nozomi wore the same uniform she had on last night, but this time, her hair was in a side braid. Hanayo blushed at how well it suited her.  
  
“Would ya care for a game? Or maybe a reading?” Nozomi gestured to the roulette, and then to the stack of cards.  
  
“A reading? So those aren’t playing cards?”  
  
“Not at all, Hanayo-chan, they’re tarot cards,” Nozomi grinned and drew one. Her elegant fingers turned it to reveal a detailed picture of the moon.  
  
“I didn’t think many people could read tarot cards,” Hanayo’s voice was soft, she was mesmerised by the car.  
  
Nozomi chuckled and placed the card down on the table.  
  
“It’s a thing of mine. When I’m not here, I’m at home sleepin’ or doing readings.”  
  
Hanayo nodded dumbly, and then tore her gaze from the card up to Nozomi. There was a calming aura about the girl that made Hanayo relax instantly.  
  
Nozomi smiled, and it seemed like all out the outside volume and muted, because the only thing Hanayo could hear was Nozomi talking to her.  
  
“So what will it be, Hanayo-chan?”  
  
Struggling to find words, Hanayo’s eyes flitted towards the roulette.  
  
Nozomi picked up on this and laughed as Hanayo pulled out the tokens she had used the previous night.  
  
The more Hanayo played, the more confident she became. Nozomi’s advice and teachings (along with no real money being bet) was what occupied the saleswoman for the rest of the night.  
  
Upon getting another outside bet win, Hanayo smiled and checked her watch.  
  
Her heart stopped - it was 3am.  
  
“Oh wow,” she breathed, and Nozomi peered forward with raised eyebrows.  
  
“Everything okay there, kid?”  
  
“Y-Yes, I just lost track of the time,” Hanayo tore her eyes away from the watch and then pulled out her phone.  
  
“I just need to call Rin-chan, today was a big day and I’m getting rather tired,” she explained, and Nozomi nodded to show that she understood.  
  
Hanayo tried to call Rin three times, and she turned paler every time the voicemail came on.  
  
“Uh oh,” Hanayo flew into panic and clasped her hands together.  
  
“I _knew_ it was stupid of me to leave her!”  
  
Nozomi stepped out from behind her table and moved next to Hanayo, her hands behind her back.  
  
“What’s up, buttercup?” She lowered her voice in an attempt to calm Hanayo down.  
  
Violet eyes flitted to turquoise, and Hanayo could only stutter out the situation.  
  
“So, Rin-chan is not answerin’ her phone, and she’s probably at the slot machines being monitored by Umi-chan?”  
  
Hanayo nodded, and Nozomi smile. She extended her hand.  
  
“Then why don’t we go look for her?”  
  
“B-but your table” Hanayo squeaked, eyeing said table. Nozomi shrugged.  
  
“There are literally hundreds of roulette tables around, people aren’t going to miss out on gamblin’ their lives away if I’m not at mine.”  
  
Hanayo nervously looked around, and then obliged. She took Nozomi’s hand and let the croupier lead.

* * *

  
  
Soon enough, the blue haired security guard came into view. Nozomi walked up to her, waving her free hand.  
  
“G’evenin’ Umi-chan!”  
  
“Nozomi,” Umi gave a curt nod, then smiled at Hanayo.  
  
“How was your evening, Hanayo?”  
  
“It was nice, but it’s now morning,” Hanayo reminded the two, who just chuckled.  
  
“We rarely see what is outside this casino when we work, and we lose track of the time,” Nozomi explained as Umi nodded in agreement.  
  
“Anyway, what can I help you with?”  
  
“Yes, how is Rin-chan going? She hasn’t answered her phone and I’m worried,”  
Hanayo’s voice diminished the more she tried to talk. Umi bit her lip.  
  
“Rin left about an hour ago, probably went back up to her room.”  
  
“Fiddlesticks,” Hanayo made her free hand a fist and looked down at the ground.  
  
“She has my access card to the room we’re staying in…”  
  
“It is not the end of the world, reception will be able to give you another card to allow you access to your room,” Umi suggested, but Hanayo paled even more.  
  
Nozomi didn’t have to be psychic to send that Hanayo did not want to talk to reception, so instead she grinned at the smaller girl and squeezed her hand.  
  
“Hanayo-chan, how about ya stay with me tonight?”


	3. Chapter 3

The only other time in Hanayo’s life where she had crashed at someone else’s house was at Rin’s place after work. She would sleep on the couch so Rin could have her privacy.  
  
However, her bleary brain was processing what had happened as she lay in a bed.   
  
A bed?   
  
Hanayo gasped and sat up straight. She remembered Nozomi offering her a place to stay since Rin wasn’t around, and Hanayo was too scared to say ‘no.’ She took up the offer and was lead back to a small grey flat. Seeing as it was dark outside, Hanayo had asked to hold Nozomi’s hand for safety.   
  
“Don’t worry about it, it’s dark,” Nozomi had chuckled when Hanayo apologised for asking.   
  
Hanayo shook her head and then rubbed her eyes. She was in a bed, okay, but she needed to figure out the time. There was a clock on the wall with purple arms that read 8am.   
  
With a sigh, Hanayo threw her head back onto the pillow. She heard a hum and quickly sat up again in shock.   
  
Next to her, under the sheets and breathing evenly in her sleep, was Nozomi.   
  
Hanayo turned incredibly red and her body started to shake. She had shared a bed with someone she barely knew?! How indecent! What would Rin think?   
  
Rin...oh no…   
  
Hanayo scrambled out of bed, and squeaked upon noticing she was only wearing her undergarments from the previous night. Embarrassed and full of adrenaline, the girl caught sight of her phone on the floor next to her clothes.   
  
Hanayo felt even _more_ indecent - what had she done last night?!   
  
She scurried over to her pile of clothes and picked her phone off the top. The second her hand came into contact, the screen lit up.   
  
_‘What a coincidence,’_ She thought, seeing the familiar number flash on the screen.   
  
“Rin-chan! I’m so worried, where are y-”   
  
“Kayo-chin, help me…”   
  
Hanayo didn’t finish because of Rin’s plea. Her heart skipped a beat and went into overdrive instantly.   
  
“Rin-chan, what’s wrong?”   
  
“I’m gonna get fired!”   
  
“Wh-What?! What did you do?!” Hanayo panicked some more as Rin’s throat clenched up.   
  
“I spent it all!”   
  
“Spent what? Time? Coupons?”   
  
“MONEY!”   
  
Hanayo’s heart stopped. It all clicked - Rin, casinos, out of her line of sight. With a small whine, Hanayo tried to speak.   
  
“R-Rin-chan, how much money did you s-spend?”   
  
“I bet all of our trip budget!”   
  
“Oh my…” Hanayo started to feel a bit faint as the apartment door opened, but she didn’t notice.   
  
“It’s all gone!”   
  
“Okay c-calm down! Did you call the boss yet?”   
  
“I’m terrified she’s gonnya kill me!”   
  
“If you just explain-”   
  
“I blew all of our travel budget on the slot nyachines!”   
  
Well, at least it was set in stone.   
  
Hanayo quickly cleared her throat and fumbled the phone into the crook of her neck so she could get dressed.   
  
“So all the money is gone?”   
  
“All of it!”   
  
“Call the boss,” Hanayo instructed, trying her best to keep her voice calm.   
  
“Wha?!”   
  
“Use the hotel phone to call the boss and explain what happened. You need to tell her, Rin-chan, and knowing her, she’s not going to fire you, b-but you need to tell her or the situation will get worse!”   
  
“But-”   
  
“Rin-chan,” Hanayo put on a stern voice and her hand on her hip.   
  
“Just tell her, we’ll sort this out, okay?”   
  
“...okay,”   
  
“Great, now I’ll get back to the hotel as soon as possible,” Hanayo said, then gulped.   
  
She was not at the hotel. How the hell was she going to get back?   


“Where _are_ you, Kayo-chin?”

  
“I’m at a friend’s house...I think...L-Look just stay in the hotel I’m coming back,” Hanayo raced through her last sentence, and then hung up her phone.   
  
With a sigh, she ran a hand through her hair and turned back to the bed.   
  
Nozomi was sleeping soundly, having not moved once. Her hair was in a side braid, and she wore a purple tank top to match her purple sheets.   
  
Hanayo gulped and tentatively moved forward. She needed to know how to get back to the hotel, and Nozomi would surely know the way.   
  
“N-Nozomi-san?” Hanayo whispered, and then decided to raise her voice slightly.   
  
“Nozomi?”   
  
There was no response, so Hanayo gently reached out and shook the croupier’s shoulder.   
  
“Nozomi-san?” She raised her voice again, but the woman would not wake up. Biting her lip in worry, Hanayo stepped back.   
  
“She’s not gonna wake up, kid,” a harsh voice sounded from the bedroom door.   
  
Hanayo squeaked and whirled around.   
  
Standing in the doorway was a petite woman with long black hair that was down. She wore a pink bathrobe with a large black ‘N’ on the side, and in her left hand had an equally pink coffee cup.   
  
“She won’t?” Hanayo cast a worried gaze back at the sleeping woman. The black-haired person nodded.   
  
“She’s nocturnal. If you ring her around 5pm, she’ll be wide awake and ready to make my life a living hell.”   
  
The woman stopped talking and tilted her head to the side, “Hang on, you’re that kid who came to last night’s show. Kotori never shuts up about you, saying you’re the cutest audience member.”   
  
Hanayo blushed and knocked her knees together. The woman _did_ look familiar, now that she thought about it.   
  
“Name’s Nico, I’m the best showgirl around. Didya want some breakfast?”   
  
“H-Hanayo, nice to meet you,” Hanayo bowed, then hummed in thought.   
  
“I-I guess just tea would be good. Do you know how to get back to Caesar’s Palace from here?”   
  
“Do I? Sweet cheeks, I work there six nights of the damn week,” Nico snickered and turned around to walk out of the room.   
  
“Get your clothes on, and I’ll get the kettle ready.”

  
The flat Nozomi lived in was not huge, but it was cosy. There were three rooms, a living room, a small kitchen and an array of sparkles everywhere. One door had a star on it with ‘Nico’ written in pink, and the other had a blue doorknob.   
  
Hanayo also caught sight of the two giant costumes in the living room - one was pink, and one was a light blue. They took up a fair bit of space, along with their mannequins.   
  
“That’s for the monthly show,” Nico caught Hanayo looking and placed a cup in front of her.   
  
“They’re too big and precious to keep backstage, so Eli and i just leave them here. Nozomi doesn’t mind.”   
  
“Three of you live here?” The brunette asked, bringing the cup to her lips.   
  
Nico nodded and pulled out a cigarette from the packet on the kitchen table.   
  
“Yeah, it ain’t so bad. These days, Eli spends all her time and most nights with Kotori, and Nozomi never comes home until very late.”   
  
“Is Eli nocturnal, too?” Hanayo asked, and Nico shook her head.   
  
“Nah, she’s got a decent sleep schedule. Nozomi’s the only one, but she works way later than us. We just do the show, eat, and head home. We all live pretty close to the hotel.”   
  
“Ah, that reminds me, what’s the quickest way back to the hotel?” Hanayo asked, placing her cup down and licking her lips.   
  
Nico hummed in thought, “Your best bet is to just head down the street and turn left. Not hard to miss.”   
  
“Thank you,” Hanayo smiled.

* * *

Getting back to the hotel was not too hard. Hanayo could see why the showgirls didn’t drive and why Nozomi would often walk. 

  
_‘I’d drive ya, but we don’t have a car. Parkin’ is a bitch,’_ Nicos’ words also echoed in Hanayo’s mind as she trotted into the lobby and made for the elevator.   
  
In the hotel room, there sat the sobbing, shaking frame of Rin. Hanayo moved forward and patted her back, throwing the spare card she had obtained from the receptionist onto the bedside table.   
  
“It’s going to be okay Rin-chan, we’ll figure this out,” Hanayo softly spoke. Rin looked up and sniffled.   
  
“Look, I’ll call the boss and see what they say, okay?” Hanayo patted Rin’s head in an attempt to soothe her.   
  
Hanayo instantly jumped on the phone to her boss, and a very long conversation later, Rin was put on. She nodded shakily at the instructions she was receiving.   
  
When she hung up, Hanayo moved closer to her with wrung hands.   
  
“I...I have to go back home…” Rin croaked, and Hanayo’s heart sank.   
  
“The presentations will be left for you to do and I’ll work on them back at the office.”   
  
“O-Okay,” Hanayo didn’t really know what to say, all she could do was worry about being left alone in a city that she had no idea how to get around.   
  
“I’m so sorry Kayo-chin” Rin blubbered and fell into Hanayo’s embrace.   
  
“It’s okay…”   
  
Hanayo waved off Rin at the airport nervously. She was unable to stomach that she was alone in Las Vegas to finish off the business trip by herself. The white noise in her ears built up and she awkwardly turned around to shuffle back to the taxi.   
  
_“I have so much work to do, this is going to be crazy,”_ Hanayo put her face in her hands and let out a shaky sigh.   
  
The second she got back to the hotel room, Hanayo threw herself at the computer and managed to get all of the reports and examples for her presentation tomorrow evening done. It was the most important presentation she would have to do - and the reason she was on this business trip in the first place. The little smiling riceball on the bottom corner of her acknowledgement slideshow didn’t to much to lift her mood though. She was alone in a scary down with bright lights and no one seemed to sleep, unless you were a nocturnal croupier it seems.   
  
Hanayo’s mind wandered back to Nozomi. She had barely known the woman for more than a couple of days, and she had shared a bed with her…   
  
_That’s_ what scared Hanayo the most. She barely _knew_ Nozomi other than the fact she worked as a croupier, lived with two showgirls and was nocturnal. Nozomi seemed like a strange person, she had a pack of tarot cards on her at all times and never seemed to stop smiling - maybe she was in a good spot with her life?   
  
Hanayo thought about it while absentmindedly copying and pasting the little rice ball all over the final slide. She got lost in her thoughts and was only broken from her trance when the hotel phone rung.   
  
Shuffling over, Hanayo picked it up and went to speak, but her voice wasn’t co-operating. She coughed, then tried again.   
  
“H-Hello?”   
  
“Hanayo-chan? Is that you?”   
  
“Yes it is?” Hanayo was confused, was that nasally voice _really_ who she thought it was?   
  
“Oh thank goodness, I was worried those losers at reception were pranking me! It’s Nozomi.”   
  
“Ah! Nozomi!” Hanayo squeaked. It was better than her boss to be quite honest but still scary.   
  
“I’m sorry I didn’t wake up with ya, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell ya I’m sorta nocturnal. Comes with the job, ya see.”   
  
“It’s fine, Nico-chan helped me out,” Hanayo nervously adjusted her glasses and sat on the bed.   
  
“Did she now? I hope Nicocchi didn’t scare ya away, she can be a real handful.”   
  
“N-No she was fine! She helped me get back here, after all,” Hanayo was starting to feel nervous.   
  
“Well that’s great, and again I’m really sorry about this mornin’...Say, can I make it up to ya?”   
  
Hanayo’s blood ran cold.   
  
“Tonight is the comedy showgirl night, and the girls do this incredible human pyramid routine. I was wonderin’ if ya wanted to see with me.”   
  
The cold wave crashed again. This surely wasn’t happening - this was a dream and Hanyo was going to wake up any second now.   
  
But she didn’t...Nozomi was _really_ asking her to see a show with her, no doubt that would include dinner, so it was a-   
  
“Date,” Hanayo whispered, forgetting for a split second that the phone was in her hand.   
  
“Beg ya pardon?”   
  
“D-Deal! I said deal!” Hanayo tried to save herself, crossing her fingers to make sure Nozomi bought her bluff.   
  
She could imagine the croupier’ charming grin as she spoke, “Yipee! Thank ya so much Hanayo-chan, I promise ya won’t regret it at all.”

* * *

 

When Nozomi told Hanayo to ‘wear something nice,’ Hanayo turned bright red. The only ‘nice’ thing she had brought with her on the trip were her business clothes.   
  
_‘I guess the business skirt with the green shirt can work,’_ Hanayo thought, rummaging through her suitcase to try and find something appropriate.   
  
_‘But I don’t want to go overboard either,’_ she wrung her hands nervously.   
  
Finally, she settled on something that she had stashed at the bottom of her luggage - a green dress. Sure, it wasn’t the most flashy of things, but it was better than rocking up in a pantsuit.   
  
Hanayo finished off the presentation she would give tomorrow evening, and with the anxiety of that event still looming over her, stepped into the shower. She had one hour before meeting Nozomi in the hotel lobby.

 

* * *

 

Down in the lobby, Hanayo fidgeted awkwardly with at the hem of her green dress. She waiting, her foot tapping against the marble floor, for a familiar head of purple hair to appear.  
  
She looked around, blinking rapidly at the bright lights of the reception and the glossy finish on the floor where reflections were clearly visible. Everything was ten times more terrifying since Rin wasn’t there.   
  
_‘Just breathe. Nozomi will be here soon,’_ Hanayo thought, now rocking back and forth on her heels.   
  
It seemed an eternity before a familiar voice sounded from behind her.   
  
“Ya lookin’ good there, Hanayo-chan,”   
  
The smaller girl squeaked and jumped in shock, then whirled around. As her heart calmed down, she took in Nozomi.   
  
It was weird to see the croupier out of her uniform. Instead of her usual white shirt, vest and bowtie, Nozomi wore a simple purple dress shirt with a black jacket and jeans. Her hair was in a side ponytail instead of a braid, and there was a cigarette tucked behind her ear.   
  
“Sorry if I scared ya, I always use the back entrance. Force of habit, really,” Nozomi grinned sheepishly.   
  
“It’s okay, I was just thinking…” Hanayo averted her eyes and wrung her hands.   
  
“‘Bout what?”   
  
“When you’d show up…”   
  
“Well I’m here now, ya wanna head in? Elichi reserved the best table for us,” Nozomi extended her hand with a smile and tilted her head to the side. Hanayo nodded, and took her hand.   
  
Her heart instantly sped up - Nozomi was holding her hand out of her own free will!   
  
_‘Calm yourself, Koizumi,’_ Hanayo steeled herself as they walked off to the show.

* * *

 

“The great thing ‘bout workin’ here is ya have friends in high places,” Nozomi chuckled as they walked into the giant room.   
  
“I got us the best table in the house,” she lead Hanayo up the stairs to the higher areas.   
  
Hanayo’s eyes widened, she had never been to the upper parts before. The last two times she had been here, she had sat at the bottom with Rin.   
  
The table Nozomi stopped at was a low, round and had a white cloth on top with green flowers.   
  
There was also a little card that had elegant cursive writing. Upon further inspection, Hanayo read:   
_‘Tits Mcgee and her date’_ _  
_ _  
_ Nozomi laughed and pulled out a chair for Hanayo.   
  
“Nicocchi’s doin’, no doubt,” Nozomi explained as Hanayo took the seat.   
  
“O-Oh,” Hanayo realised that this was _indeed_ a date, and as much as it terrified her, it was also rather exciting.   
  
Nozomi sat across from her, taking off her jacket and rolling up her purple sleeves.   
  
“So, ya never actually told me whatchya doin’ here,” Nozomi instantly started up a conversation, but before Hanayo could answer, a waiter appeared.   
  
“Any drinks to start with?” She asked, eyeing the two.   
  
“W-Water, please,” Hanay stammered out her usual plain order. Nozomi, on the other hand, thought a bit longer.   
  
“Black Russian, please,”   
  
_‘A what?’_ Hanayo was confused, but the waiter seemed to understand and walked off.   
  
“Anyway,” Nozomi turned back to Hanayo, and got the attention centered again.   
  
“R-Right! I work for a food marketing company. I mainly do graphic designs for the presentations, and Rin-chan presents, but we also both work on the layout and facts,” Hanayo explained.   
  
“So it’s a work trip,” Nozomi concluded, and Hanayo nodded.   
  
“The company must love ya for puttin’ ya up in this place,” Nozomi gestured a hand up to the roof.   
  
“How long have you been working here?” Hanayo asked, changing the focus of the conversation.   
  
Nozomi hummed and looked up at the ceiling in thought, “Three years or so? Round ‘bout there. I used to work in some shitty lil’ casino in Austin, but then I got the offer to move to Vegas and work here. It ain’t so bad,” Nozomi shrugged, and the waiter came back with their drinks.   
  
“Thanks,” Nozomi winked at the waitress, who scowled and pushed her long dark ponytail back.   
  
“You’re such a shit, Nozomi,”   
  
“Leave me alone, Kanan-chan,” Nozomi chuckled, and the waiter rolled her eyes before leaving.   
  
“You know the waitress?” Hanayo fumbled with her glass of water while going over the dinner menu.   
  
“I know everyone,” Nozomi shrugged, sipping her drink with a smile.   
  
“Anyway, I’m real sorry about earlier back at my place.”   
  
“Don’t be, I understand,” Hanayo responded while eyeing a rice dish.   
  
“I hope this makes up for it, plus,” Nozomi leaned forward slightly with sincerity in her eyes.   
  
“I’ve...never met anyone like ya before…”   
  
Hanayo blushed furiously - such kinds words. She fumbled with her fingers and downed her water. 

“Thanks,” she responded in a small voice, and Nozomi tilted her head to the side.  
  
“Anytime,” the croupier then traced her finger around the rim of her glass with a light smile.   
  
“I’ve been meaning to ask, what is that drink?” Hanayo peered curiously at the dark liquid.   
  
“It’s a black Russian, which is just kahlua and vodka over ice. Simple, but tasty,” Nozomi then pushed the drink in Hanayo’s direction.   
  
“Wouldya like to try some?”   
  
Hanayo’s eyes widened, she wasn’t a big drinker, and Rin would normally finish off the one glass of wine she’d have at functions.   
  
However, Rin was not here, and Nozomi was merely offering a taste test.   
  
Expecting the drink to be extremely bitter, Hanayo leaned forward and took a sip from the straw. To her surprise, it was sweet, and actually rather tasty.   
  
“Ya like it?” Nozomi picked up on the surprise that washed over Hanayo’s face.   
  
The saleswoman nodded, licking her lips.   
  
“I was not expecting that,” she commented, and Nozomi flagged down the waitress.   
  
“Kanan-chan! I need another Black Russian!”   
  
Hanayo was shocked, but Nozomi gave her a wink.   
  
“My treat.”

* * *

 

Dinner was delicious, and the show was absolutely hilarious. Hanayo found herself in tears from laughter. She never knew showgirls could be so funny, and it was clear that Nico had stolen the entire show with her cowgirl act.   
  
When the curtain came down and lights brightened, Hanayo clutched at her sides gasping for air.   
  
“That was _amazing!_ ” She gasped, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.   
  
Nozomi was recovering from her laughing fit, and the edges of her eyes creased with joy.   
  
“They sure are somethin’, hey,” her voice was shaky, and she moved a hand forward to move Hanayo’s hair to the side.   
  
“Say...woulda like go to the bar?”   
  
Hanayo, in a state of euphoria, simply could not turn down the offer. She nodded, and Nozomi stood from her chair. She offered Hanayo a hand to help her up, who took the offer with a smile.   
  
“Didya wanna go to the bar here or elsewhere?” Nozomi grinned at the smaller girl, who was clutching her arm.   
  
Hanayo hummed and looked around, she _had_ been in the casino for the majority of her trip, and it wasn’t like Nozomi was going to do anything to hurt her.   
  
Her violet gaze bore into emerald as she made up her mind, “You know this city better than me, so I’ll follow you.”   
  
Nozomi looked slightly surprised, but she beamed and gestured to the door.   
  
“Well then, I know _just_ the waterin’ hole .”

* * *

 

Sitting in some underground bar with flashing red lights was _not_ what Hanayo expected.   
  
“So, what’s this place called again?” She yelled over the pounding music with her fists in her lap. They sat at a little booth in the corner with more drinks in front of them.   
  
“It’s called _Church,_ ” Nozomi smiled, her finger tracing the rim of her glass.   
  
“I got to _Church_ every Sunday, get it?”   
  
Hanayo laughed, it was a stupid joke, but the alcohol consumption was just making everything funnier. Her cheeks felt hot, and she knew they were absolutely red.   
  
Nozomi’s eyes were half-lidded as she gazed at Hanayo. The action only made the younger girl blush harder.   
  
She had learnt a lot about Nozomi during their walk to the bar: She was twenty-five, two years older than Hanayo, had a thing for spiritual things (hence the tarot cards,) and seemed to have a very bad habit of smoking.   
  
“I’m really tryin’ to quit, so next paycheck I’m gonna buy a vapor,” Nozomi explained, her voice louder to be heard over the music. She seemed to have noticed Hanayo staring at her lips, because she stuck her tongue out and went cross-eyed.   
  
Hanayo instantly shot her gaze up to meet those glistening eyes, which made Nozomi laugh again.   
  
“You’re so adorable, Hanayo-chan,” Nozomi rested her cheek in her palm.   
  
Hanayo was lost for words, so she just took another gulp of her _very_ alcoholic beverage, and instantly regretted it because she started to cough and splutter.   
  
Nozomi leaned forward and gently patted her on the shoulder.   
  
“Easy there, kiddo,” the croupier gently moved her hand up to Hanayo’s cheek.   
  
Without thinking, Hanayo found herself closing her eyes and leaning into Nozomi’s palm. The palm was surprisingly cold, so it was a tiny relief.   
  
“Dontchya fall asleep on me now,” Nozomi teased, leaning even closer, and Hanayo could smell the sweet alcohol on her breath.   
  
She opened her eyes and smiled shyly, getting lost in the constellation of emerald.   
  
Then, without thinking, Hanayo raised her head from Nozomi’s palm, and leaned in to lock lips with the woman she had only known for three days.   



	4. Chapter 4

Heavy.    
  
That’s the only thing Hanayo could describe herself right now. Everything was heavy.    
Her head was heavy, the blankets on top of her were heavy, her body was heavy, the body next to her was heavy, the world just felt…   
  
Wait...the body  _ next to her? _ __  
__  
Hanayo’s eyes flew open, and she instantly regretted lifting her head, but it throbbed and vibrated like a tubular bell being hit. She shut her eyes and tsked at her throbbing head, raising a hand to touch her temple. She was about to raise the other one, but it was currently caught between a fleshy mound of-   
  
….oh... _ oh _ ... _ OH! _ __  
__  
Hanayo shot up, and her body screamed. She placed a hand over her mouth, ignoring the thorns of agony that stung through her body. Her eyes focused on the sleeping, heavy body next to her.    
  
The purple hair was free from the side braid and splashed over the sheets. Dressed in only a purple bra, Nozomi’s slow breathing meant she was still asleep.    
  
Hanayo’s heart warmed at the sight of Nozomi sleeping, she couldn’t help but feel entranced at the peaceful sight, until that throbbing pain came back and she whined.    
  
Instantly, Nozomi’s eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at Hanayo through a half-lidded sleepy gaze.   
  
“Mornin’ sleepyhead,” Nozomi mumbled, her grin far too pure for this world.   
  
“N-Nozomi-san?!” Hanayo stuttered as Nozomi hummed and moved closer. Hanayo felt the older girl’s impressive chest against her skin, and it sent her nervous system into overdrive.   
  
“Ya so cute, Panachi~” Nozomi cooed, nuzzling closer with a hum in her throat.   
  
“P-Panachi?” Hanayo blushed at the nickname, then tried to regain her dtysfunctioning train of thought back on track.   
  
“What...how…” Hanayo blinked a few times, trying to get herself back in order to figure out how she ended up in Nozomi’s bed... _ again… _ __  
  
It was then she realised that her left hand seemed the tiniest bit heavier than usual. Looking down, she saw a ring on her third finger.    
  
Her eyes widened as she lifted her hand and stared at the silver band.    
  
“N-No way,” she whispered, and glanced down at Nozomi, who had a ring on her finger too. Violet eyes were then drawn to a bright piece of paper on the floor next to the bed. It shone from the morning light that filtered in through the curtains.    
  
Hanayo fumbled around for her glasses, desperately in need of them to try and join the dots of what was happening, but she couldn’t get very far because Nozomi was resting against her.   
  
“N-Nozomi-san!” Hanayo whined, struggling with the older girl who was acting like a sleepy child. Hanayo was finding it very hard to even attempt to get out of the tangled mess that was Nozomi, but she managed anyway.   
  
The pout of Nozomi’s face instantly filled her with guilt, “Aw c’mon Panachi! Why can’t we sleep in for once?”   
  
“F-For once?! Th-this isn’t a thing we do regularly…” Hanayo trailed off, knowing she was wrong.    
  
She shook her head and managed to crawl out of the bed. Taking in the piece of paper into her hands, Hanayo quickly read the writing:   
_ MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE _ __  
__  
Hanayo short-circuited. Her lips trembled and her hands shook violently.    
  
Nozomi scooted over the edge of the bed and smiled sleepily over Hanayo’s shoulder.   
  
“Is the floor comfy?”   
  
Hanayo whirled around in a panic and thrust the piece of paper into Nozomi’s face.   
  
“W-W-We g-got M...M…”   
  
“Married,” Nozomi finished, blinking lazily at the certificate. With a shrug, she rolled onto her back and sighed.   
  
“Ah well, this  __ is  vegas. Happens all the time.”   
  
“How can you be so calm about this?!” Hanayo wailed while she scrambled to her feet.    
  
Nozomi shrugged again, “As I said, it’s Vegas, babe.”   
  


Hanayo took quick shaky breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She then wrapped her arms around her chest and whined quietly.    
  
Nozomi sat up and pouted, “Aww Panachi,” she extended her arms for Hanayo, but the younger girl just shook her head in terror.    
  
She remembered the meetings she had later in the day. If Hanayo was late to those, she could kiss her job goodbye.   
  


“I-I...Uhm...I g-gotta go!” She scrambled to put on her dress, and squeaked in terror when the door opened.    
  
Nico stood in the doorway, her hair down and frilly pink robe on with a frown.   
  
“The fuck’s going on in here?” she grumbled, her eyes darting from Hanayo squirming into her dress to Nozomi lying in bed with a pout.   
  
“My wife doesn’t want a hug,” Nozomi’s voice matched her pout, and Hanayo felt as though someone had shot her.   
  
Nico, however, just smirked.   
  
“Don’t tell me,” she chortled, folding her arms eagerly.   
  
“W-We had way to much to drink a-and…”    
  
“Got married,” Nozomi’s voice was a complete contrast to Hanayo’s.    
  
Nico walked forward, observing Nozomi’s jacket that had been thrown on the floor.   
  
“Did you get married by Elvis at least?”   
  
“I don’t remember, but,” Nozomi turned to look Hanayo in the eyes with that ever so charming grin.   
  
“It was the best night of mah life, even If I can’t remember much.”   
  
Hanayo’s heart sank into her stomach. She slowly put her dress on and bit her lip.    
  
“I...uhm…” Hanayo was scared, with no idea of what to. Nozomi was a cheeky, kind and very pretty girl, but she had only known her for less than a week. Now they were married!   
  


“I...I-I-I  G-GOTTA GO!” She went into an panicked overdrive and scooped up her purse, then bolted for the bedroom door.    
  
Nico threw herself against the wall as the brunette dashed through the living room and nearly kicked down the apartment door.    
  
Hanayo’s mind was racing, and she could barely keep herself in tact as she jumped down the stairs, leaving Nozomi behind in the bed. 

* * *

 

Hanayo was never athletic, but she was sure she had set a new record for the fastest time to get from Nozomi’s apartment to her hotel. She threw herself onto the hotel’s bed and clung to a pillow, heaving heavily as she processed everything that had just happened. 

  
Her brain was pounding in her skull, so all the poor woman could do was shut her eyes tightly and lie on her bed.   
  
_ ‘This is a dream...surely this whole thing is a dream. I’m still in highschool, I don’t have a job and I’m not in Vegas,’  _ Hanayo thought, her fingers clawing into the pillow and she waited for herself to wake up. Only she didn’t, and then just let out a frustrated whine.   
  
“This is real…” She sat up and blinked dumbly.   
  
“It’s...real…”    
  
Hanayo looked down at her hand again and saw the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit, so she would be able to take it off with no problem at all. However, something was stopping her.   
  
“We’re married, and I don’t think it’s right...but that’s it - we  _ are  _ married! I got married in Vegas, completely drunk!” Hanayo’s breath turned shallow and she brought her knees up to her chest. The walls of her anxiety closed in around her.    
  
“I...I need to distract myself.”   
  
With a will that steeled her insides, Hanayo forced herself to sit up. She shook her head to clear the worrisome thoughts and ran a hand through her hair briskly.   
  
“Come on Hanayo, you have work to do.”    
  
She surprised herself by getting off the bed and sitting herself down on the desk.    
  
Turning on her computer, Hanayo bit her lip and automatically started to work on the projects she had due for later in the day.   
  
“Get your work done, then you can deal with everything else.”   
  
Hanayo was amazed at herself for sitting at the desk and working away for a solid three hours. Her emails had all been sent, her files were saved and backed up, and now she was putting the final touches on the graphics of the presentation she was about to give.     
  
It was her final presentation. The last one, then she could go home and resume her normal boring life away from the chaotic city that never sleeps.    
  
She put the final touches on the little cat and rice ball, then blinked. She snapped out of her trance and looked at the time - 3pm.    
  
_ ‘Wow, did I  _ really  _ wake up so late?’  _ Hanayo mused, tapping her fingers together awkwardly.   
  
_ ‘Perhaps Nozomi-san’s sleeping pattern is growing on m- no!’  _ She shook her head and pouted.   
  
“Don’t think about it, just get your work done!” Hanayo smacked her own hand and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. She was getting sidetracked, and that was not part of her plan.   
  
With all the determination she would muster, Hanayo focused on her computer screen and touched up the rice ball to make it larger.    
  


Finally, she was done, and she saved the presentation and shut the laptop. Hanayo sighed and rested her head against the table, a small wave of relief washing over her.    
  
She had done it - she had finished a work presentation all by herself! With a feeling of joy spreading through her body, Hanayo smiled at the screen and clapped her hands together. She was so proud of herself, that wasn’t scared at all when she called a cab to collect her.

 

* * *

 

The meeting went underway as expected. Hanayo did her best to keep her voice calm as she presented the other business people with the presentation. She remained as calm as she could once they deliberated, and she found herself fumbling with the ring on her finger.    
  
When Hanayo left the meeting, she pulled out her phone to call her boss, her hand shaking.   
  
“Hanayo-chan! I’m glad to receive your call!”   
  
“Hi, Honoka-chan,” Hanayo always felt awkward about calling her boss ‘Honoka-chan,’ but the CEO refused to be called anything else.   
  
“The meeting is done, it was a success and-”   
  
“YAHOO! That’s what I like to hear!” Honoka cheered from the other end of the line so loudly that Hanayo had to move her phone back from her ear.   
  
“Well done Hanayo-chan!”   
  
“Thank you,” Hanayo’s voice was tiny in comparison to her boss’s.    
  
“Is Rin-chan okay?” she asked, and Honoka hummed.   
  
“Hmm, I think she is. She called to let me know she’s back in town, but I need to bring her in for a little meeting.”   
  
“O-Of course,”   
  
“But before you fly back, Hanayo-chan, there’s one more thing I need you to do for me.”   
  
The brunette’s eyes widened. Surely not another presentation or meeting, she had already done the ones allocated.    
  
“What is it?” she asked nervously.   
  
“Don’t sound so scared! It’s nothing big,” Honoka’s giggle failed to calm down Hanayo.   
  
“I’d like you to go to the casino and bet some money for me, okay?”   
  
“B-Bet money?!” Hanayo squeaked, nearly dropping the phone.   
  
“Relax! It won’t be  _ your  _ money, I have some funds I’d like to try my luck, but since I’m not  _ in  _ Vegas myself, you’re gonna play for me!”   
  
“I-I-I I’ve never played a proper gambling game!” Hanayo whined, thinking about the times she had spent with Nozomi at the roulette table, and it only made her more anxious.   
  
“Hanayo-chan it’s fine!  _ Anyone  _ can play poker!”   
  
“Poker?!”   
  
“Yeah! Poker! If we can win some extra money, that’d be awesome! Poker seems the way to go, dontcha think?”   
  
“I can only play roulette - I mean! I...only  _ know  _ how roulette works, I know nothing about poker!” Hanayo’s knees were starting to knock against each other. She couldn’t do it - she couldn’t gamble. She didn’t know the first thing about gambling other than playing faux roulette with Nozomi.   
  
“Koizumi Hanayo-san,” Honoka’s tone changed and Hanayo felt her blood ran cold.   
  
“You’re going to play this poker game with my money and you’re gonna have  _ fun  _ with it.”    
  
Hanayo squeaked, her voice failing her.   
  
“Let me know how you go! If you win, I’ll give you half of the profit. How does that sound?”   
  
Still unable to produce an sound, Hanayo shut her eyes tightly. She nodded, knowing Honoka couldn’t see her. Honoka, however, had known Hanayo for a very long time, and let out a chuckle.   
  
“Easy as that! I’ll call you tomorrow to tell you about your flight details. Faito Dayo!”   
  
With that, Honoka hung up.    
  
Hanayo put her phone back into her pocket and sighed as the walls of anxiety drew closer around her.   
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a cop out.

Having stepped out of the taxi to go back to the hotel, Hanayo felt more emotions within the whirlpool of her stomach. She clutched at her briefcase and looked up at Caesar’s Palace - it never failed to intimidate her, it was _huge_.

  
“Hello!”  
  
A familiar voice called out to Hanayo, and the brunette looked up. It took a second, but Hanayo recognised the person as Kotori. She didn’t even _look_ like a showgirl in her everyday clothes, neither did the blonde next to her.  
  
“Kotori-san, Eli-san,” Hanayo greeted them both with a bow. She noticed the two were holding hands.  


“I-It just occured to me that I don’t actually know your name,” Eli tilted her head to the side and looked at Hanayo with those piercing blue eyes.  
  
“H-Hanayo...Koizumi Hanayo,” the brunette responded sheepishly, shrinking under the gaze.  
  
“Oooh you didn’t change your last name?” Kotori asked cheerfully, and Hanayo looked at her quizzically.  
  
“H-huh?”  
  
“You’re not going to become Toujou Hanayo? Since you married Nozomi-chan. Oh! Or did Nozomi-chan change her name? Koizumi Nozomi?”  
  
Hanayo’s face turned red, and Eli raised an eyebrow at Kotori.  
  
“They...got married?”  
  
“Yeah, last night! I wish I was invited, but that’s a wedding in Las Vegas for you - quick and simple and done by Elvis,” Kotori smiled and squeezed Eli’s hand.  
  
_‘So I_ did _get married by Elvis,’_ Hanayo winced at the realisation and shrunk into herself.  
  
“Just like our wedding was,” she looked up into Eli’s eyes with the utmost affection, and it made the blonde blush.  
  
Hanayo watched as a lovesick grin split onto the blonde’s normally stoic face. She had no idea Eli was able to smile like that, and Kotori must be very special to her.  
  
“Except we didn’t get married by Elvis, we got married by Marilyn Monroe,” Eli smiled and nudged her nose against Kotori’s.  
  
Hanayo smiled as Kotori giggled and pecked Eli on the lips. They seemed so in love, despite the wackiness of being married by some American icon. Hanayo instantly bit her internal tongue at that last part.  
  
“So, how does it feel to be married to Nozomi-chan?”  
  
“W-We didn’t plan it!” Hanayo squeaked, and Kotori tilted her head to the side.  
  
“We saw your show then went out for more drinks and then it just...happened,” Hanayo’s voice disintegrated into nothing, and she averted her eyes again.  
  
Eli and Kotori exchanged a look before addressing the brunette.  
  
“Hanayo-chan, do you like Nozomi-chan?”  
  
Hanayo turned a bright red and spluttered about.    
  
“E-Eh?! I-I uhm, _eeeEEEHH_ ”  
  
“I think you broke her, Kotori,” Eli muttered to her wife, but Kotori ignored this and kept going.  
  
“Well, it’s kinda obvious you have some affection towards Nozomi if you married her,”  
  
“B-But I was drunk!”  
  
“And I think this happened for a reason,” Kotori smiled and placed a hand on top of Hanayo’s head.  
  
“I think you played your cards right for this outcome.”

* * *

 

Kotori’s words stuck with Hanayo for the rest of the day. She sat in her hotel room, staring at the ceiling and counted down the hours, minutes and seconds until she had to go back into the casino.  
  
_“I think you played your cards right for this outcome.”_ _  
_ _  
_ The brunette struggled to figure out what that meant as she got dressed and brushed her hair. Finally, after five or six hours (she had lost count,) it was time to head down to the casino.

 

* * *

 

Hanayo found herself back in the casino in that same green dress. She was terrified - not only for the poker game, but also for the fact that Nozomi worked here. Hanayo was panicking - she had run out of her ‘wife’s’ apartment and was not making any effort to contact her.  
  
But that was it - Hanayo had _married_ Nozomi, a woman she had barely known for less than a week. It was hard for her to believe that this was real.  
  
...Wait a second.  
  
_‘What if it’s_ not _real, this is Vegas after all,’_ Hanayo thought as she stumbled timidly through the casino. They got married by Elvis for christ’s sake! There was no way this was a legitimate marriage!  
  
With that spring in her step, Hanayo continued through the casino, adjusting her little hairband as she went. The directions from Honoka were fairly simple - the room she would be in was off the casino floor, and was identifiable by a large golden door.  
  
Out the front stood a familiar face, which made Hanayo relax a bit.  
  
“Umi-san,” she greeted the security guard, who looked up and gave a small smile.  
  
“Good evening Hanayo, how are you”  
  
“A-A bit nervous,” Hanayo wrung her hands. Umi blinked and rolled her shoulder back.  
  
“Are you playing this poker game?” Umi kept the conversation light.  
  
Hanayo nodded. “Y-Yes, for my boss,”  
  
“You don’t strike me as the gambling type,” the security guard raised an eyebrow, and Hanayo shook her head.  
  
“I-I’m not! My boss is making me.”  
  
“Well, at least you will not be in there alone,” Umi sighed.  
  
“Excuse me?” Hanayo was confused, but Umi smiled gently and opened the door for her.  
  
“You’ll see.”

* * *

 

Hanayo’s heart plummeted into her stomach.  
  
Standing at the table, playing with a deck of cards, was [Nozomi](http://i.schoolido.lu/c/584idolizedNozomi.png). Her _wife_ .  
  
Sitting around the table were three other people: A woman with blonde hair, another woman with a rather large forehead, and finally a woman with black hair wearing a qipao.  
  
Hanayo looked at Nozomi, who seemed unaware that she was there. The brunette looked around at the three other people sitting at the table, and noticed they all seemed rather relaxed, as if this was nothing more than a lunch date.  
  
“Ah! Kousaka-san! Nice of you to j-” The woman with the large forehead looked up at Hanayo, but then her face fell.  
  
“Oh, you are?”  
  
“I-I’ll be representing Kousaka-san in for the game tonight,” Hanayo tried her best to sound somewhat normal, but her fidgeting was a clear bluff.  
  
_‘Honoka-chan, you picked the_ worst _person to play poker for you,’_ she internally whined. She could not bluff, or fake her emotions. She stuttered, she sweated, she shook - she would absolutely fail and lose all of the money Honoka had just given her.  
  
Nozomi looked up, and her eyebrows flew into her hair.  
  
“P-Panachi…” her voice was airy, and lacked depth. It was strange to hear Nozomi without any confidence, as though this were a completely different person.  
  
Hanayo bit her lip, and offered a small bow as a greeting.  
  
“Good evening, Nozomi-san,” her voice was small.  
  
The two just stared at each other, completely startled by everything that was happening.  
  
To the two of them, no one else was in the room, even though blonde chuckled.  
  
“Is there a history here?”  
  
“Yeah, she’s my wife,” Nozomi answered in a daze, and Hanayo turned a bright red.  
  
“N-No I’m not!”  
  
Instantly, Nozomi’s face fell. She looked like she had been told someone close to her had passed away.  
  
Hanayo covered her hand with her mouth and whined softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean t-to be harsh…”  
  
The dealer frowned, then turned on her heel and left the room.  
  
“Excuse me, ladies,” she muttered as she left.  
  
Hanayo instantly panicked and excused herself to follow Nozomi.

 

* * *

  
  
“Nozomi-san!” Hanayo called after the purple haired woman.  
  
Nozomi walked through the casio and fumbled with a hand down her shirt to retrieve something. Umi called out after them both, but neither paid attention to the security guard.  
  
Hanayo followed Nozomi out of the casino, through the hotel lobby and out onto the streets of Vegas at night. It had occurred to Hanayo that she had never actually seen the palace from the outside at night time.  
  
The casino was lit up, dazzling like diamonds. The other buildings pulsed with neon, providing a heartbeat for the city that never sleeps. Nozomi stood out the front of the casino, one hand shakily raising an open flame to the cigarette that was between her lips.  
  
“Nozomi-san!” Hanayo called out again with a slight pant. Nozomi didn’t turn around, so Hanayo felt even _more_ awful approaching the woman.  
  
“Nozomi…” Hanayo’s voice trailed off once she saw the tears that were prickling out of the corners of those usually vibrant turquoise eyes. Hanayo’s heart panged against her chest.  
  
“I thought ya were the one…” Nozomi whispered shakily, smoke wisping out of her nostrils.  
  
The brunette gulped, “I-It’s not that! I...I just didn’t expect to get married on a business trip and I...I wasn’t expecting to meet someone like you.”  
  
Hanayo’s voice trailed off, and Nozomi just raised an eyebrow. Hanayo could see the hurt in those glistening turquoise gems and her heart sank further. Kotori’s words echoed in her mind again, _“I think you played your cards right for this outcome.”_ _  
_ _  
_ Thinking over everything, the cogs in Hanayo’s brain started to click - Nozomi had taken care of her at the casino when she was lost. Nozomi had offered her a place to stay. Nozomi had cared for her the night they went out. Hanayo’s entire vegas trip was a gambling game. Her fate was a hand of cards, they were all played in a fashion that she either had control over or not. However, every single time a card was played, Nozomi was there. Hanayo suddenly remembered those slot machines, and she was sure if she went on to use _that_ metaphor, every time she pulled the handle she’d get three Nozomi’s in a row. Jackpot.

It clicked.

  
Hanayo clutched the hem of her skirt and forced herself to look into Nozomi’s eyes.  
  
“Nozomi, I have not had an interesting life...I am an ordinary run-of-the-mill girl - my job is normal, my apartment back home is normal and even my favourite food is normal. There’s nothing exciting about me, so when this business trip came up, I was so scared because it was not normal.”  
  
Nozomi just stared at Hanayo, the cigarette dangling out of her lips. The brunette steeled herself and kept talking.  
  
“This city scares me, this hotel scares me, and the casino games scare me too. Wh-when Rin-chan dragged me into the casino I was so worried because of all the flashing lights and loud noises, but…” Violet eyes enhanced upon the turquoise.  
  
“When I stumbled upon you I...I felt so comfortable,” her voice reduced. and Nozomi raised an eyebrow.  
  
“So ya felt comfortable enough with me in a casino to lead me on and agree to be mah wife,” Nozomi’s voice was flat and low, and it made Hanayo shake her head quickly.  
  
“I-It’s not that! I never said th- ...wait,” Hanyo tilted her head to the side, confused.  
  
“You... _asked_ me to marry you?”  
  
“Yeah, I did,” Nozomi’s cheeks were tinged with red, and Hanayo thought it was absolutely adorable.  
  
“I asked ya to marry me when we left _Church_ and ya said yes.”  
  
With those words, Hanayo felt her throat tighten.  
  
She had said yes…  
  
A strange sensation tingled within her, like someone had light a match in her stomach. A warmth spread throughout her limbs and she blinked as her eyes watered.  
  
“Nozomi-san,” Hanayo whispered as the lights around them made Nozomi look somewhat angelic, but it broke her heart to see the courier so sad.  
  
As the lights formed a soft halo around Nozomi’s head, Hanayo remembered how good the woman was to her: she had taught her roulette, helped her find Umi, took her to a show...Nozomi was a good person. Strange, but good.  
  
And she was her wife.  
  
The realisation dawned on her, and Hanayo let the waterworks begin.  
  
“I...I am so sorry for what I did this morning, a-and just now. I...I was scared, because my normal and boring life suddenly became very exciting…” Hanayo blubbered, her fists shaking.  
  
Nozomi’s mouth fell open, and she cleared her throat while moving a hand awkwardly out to touch Hanayo’s shoulder.  
  
“I-I’m sorry too...I shouldn’t have asked ya so quickly to marry me…I shoulda talked to ya ‘bout it sober…”  
  
Hanayo felt her resolve completely crack. Without even thinking, she threw herself into Nozomi’s arms as everything crashed around her - alone in Vegas, married to this harmless woman, about to go into a poker game with the smallest chance of winning.  
  
There was nothing else for her to do but cry. Luckily for her, Nozomi had taken a free hand and started to stroke Hanayo’s mousy brown hair carefully.  
  
“Easy, Panachi...easy,” Nozomi’s own voice started to crack as she tried to calm the smaller girl down. Some people were watching, but they didn’t seem to cary or pry further.  
  
The two stayed like that for who knows how long. A slight wind picked up and swirled around them, but neither cared. After what seemed like hours, Hanayo spoke up.  
  
“A-Are the marriages in Vegas legal?” she asked quietly into Nozomi’s chest.  
  
The croupier nodded, “Absolutely, the Elvis thing is a gimmick but the certificate is a hundred-percent real.”  
  
Hanayo couldn’t help but let out a huff of a laugh. She felt a hand cup her cheek and start to stroke it. Instantly, she melted into the touch, her eyes fluttering shut as the softness made contact.  
  
Nozomi traced a nail gently down to Hanayo’s chin, tilting it up in the process.  
  
“Can I just say, outta all the people I’ve met in Vegas, I’m so glad it was Panachi who became mah wife,”  
  
Hanayo opened her eyes to see that Nozomi smile at her with the utmost adoration.  
Gently, Nozomi leaned forward to press her lips against Hanayo’s.  
  
Instantly, a volcano of butterflies erupted in Hanayo’s stomach. She closed her eyes and hummed as she leaned into the kiss. Nervously, she moved her hands up to Nozomi’s  bowtie and fumbled with it.  
  
Feeling this, Nozomi grinned against Hanayo’s lips and moved her hands down around Hanayo’s waist.  
  
Finally, they pulled away for hair. Their faces were so close it startled Hanayo slightly.  
  
“I-I’m still so worried about the poker game…” Hanayo trailed off.  
  
Nozomi hummed in thought as Hanayo clenched her fists on her shirt. The burnette, clearly agitated, seemed to forget she had a very valuable tool at her disposal.  
  
“I have an idea, if ya up for it,” Nozomi whispered in Hanayo’s ear with a grin on her face.

 

* * *

  
  
Hanayo concluded that having Nozomi help her with the poker game was truly a blessing. Nozomi had strategically dealt out the cards in a fashion that would secure her no matter what the situation was.  
  
Hanayo watch carefully for bluffs, which were guided by Nozomi, who had explained the most obvious signs to her. Through a careful, inaudible communication, Hanayo played her cards with Nozomi’s silent guidance to help insure her some easy, not-so-suspicious victories.  
  
By the time the game was over, the woman with the large head called Tsubasa had stormed out in anger with the blonde lady, but the name of Mari, following her and giggling.  
  
Once the room was cleared, with the last girl leaving in a quiet huff, Nozomi sat on the table across from Hanayo.  
  
“So, didya have fun?” she asked with a cheeky grin.  
  
The brunette shrugged and fumbled with her hand of cards.  
  
“I guess, b-but I think I prefer the roulette games more,” she answered honestly. Nozomi chuckled with a nod.  
  
“Yeah, me too if i may be honest with ya. I find there to be less politics and such,” the dealer told Hanayo, who nodded.  
  
There was a brief period of silence between the two of them, until Hanayo reached out her hand to touch Nozomi’s.  
  
“N-Nozomi-san…”  
  
“Hmm?”  
  
Hanayo carefully leaned across to place a small kiss on Nozomi’s cheek.  
  
“Thank you for helping me, and...everything,” Hanayo said softly, then giggled at the dumb grin that formed on Nozomi’s lips.  
  
“Ya always welcome, Panachi,” Nozomi’s voice was slightly airy, but it only made Hanayo’s heart flutter even more.  
  
The brunette was about to lean in for another kiss, but her phone in her pocket started to ring. Fumbling slightly with the little strap, she pulled it out and recognized the number instantly.  
  
“Honoka-chan?” Hanayo answered.  
  
“Hanayo-chan! How is my darling marshmallow puff?!” Honoka was so loud that even Nozomi could hear her.  
  
The dealer raised an eyebrow as Hanayo talked, “I-I’m fine, the poker match is over a-and...well…”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“I...I won seventy thousand dollars!” Hanayo squeaked, then instantly removed the phone from her hear.  
  
As if on cue, Honoka let out a scream of joy and laughter. Hanayo saw a smile on Nozomi’s face, and found herself become so infatuated it with it that she didn’t hear what Honoka was babbling about.  
  
Hanayo caught Nozomi’s infectious laughter and raised a hand to her mouth, but soon found herself just laughing away with her wife.


	6. Epilogue

Checking her phone for the time, Hanayo climbed the stairs carefully to the apartment door. She adjusted her laptop bag and pulled out her keys to unlock the door, that had some small decorations such as a ghost and a pumpkin for Halloween.    
  
Stepping into the apartment, Hanayo called out “I’m home,” knowing that there probably wouldn’t be a response. The other person who lived in the apartment would most likely still be asleep at this time in the afternoon.

  
So of course Hanayo was surprised when a figure with long purple hair shuffled out of the bedroom.

Having asked Honoka to repeat herself that night, Hanayo could still not believe what her boss had said. Having won so much money,  _ and  _ pleased the vendors at the business meetings throughout the week, Honoka had offered Hanayo a fulltime position in Vegas as lead designer for the company. Hanayo was honestly quite nervous about this - living in Vegas would be exceptionally different to just visiting.    
  
However, she was lucky to have married someone who  _ does  _ have a permanent residence.   
  
For two weeks, Hanayo and Nozomi looked around for somewhere, until they realised that the apartment just a few floors up from Nozomi’s old one was available. Within minutes, they had put down a deposit, using Hanayo’s split of the money she had won at the poker game.   
  
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Hanayo put down her laptop bag and trotted forward to Nozomi, who looked like some kind of zombie. A small moan sounded from the croupier when Hanayo hugged her tightly.   
  
“You’re up a bit early,” Hanayo commented, gently moving the purple strands away from the taller girl’s face.    
  
Nozomi let out a small hum at the action and grinned, “I gotta be, since they change my shift times.”   
  


Hanayo smiled as Nozomi reached out to cup her cheek, gently stroking the soft skin.    
  
“Ya so adorable, Panachi...I’m so glad ya mah wife, really,” Nozomi then gently placed her forehead against Hanayo’s. 

  
The brunette hummed and lightly nudged her nose against Nozomi’s, “I...I still can’t believe out of all the people I could have married in Vegas, I got you, Nozomi-chan.”   
  
“Ya say that like it’s a bad thing,” Nozomi grinned sleepily, and instantly Hanayo shook her head.   
  
“N-No! It’s not like th-that!”   
  
“I know,” Nozomi gently brushed her lips against Hanayo’s. The action calmed the brunette down as Nozomi moved her arms around Hanayo’s waist.   
  
“I’m teasin’ ya, Panachi. Besides,” Nozomi looked up and chuckled again.   
  
“What happened to ya is the complete opposite of the famous sayin’”   
  


“Famous s-saying?” Hanayo was genuinely confused.   
  
“Ya don’t know? It’s ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”   
  
Hanayo hummed at that, then shrugged.   
  
“I don’t think that’s true...I mean,” she pressed closer to Nozomi and smiled brightly.   
  
“ _ We  _ happened in Vegas and we’re still here.”   
  
Nozomi chuckled, “Not even the cards could tell me this was gonna happen, but I’m glad it did.”   
  
With that the two locked lips again as the rays from the sun seared through the windows of their apartment.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. That's my contribution to the Big Bang.
> 
> Would I ever do this again? No, not really. I don't think it was organised well enough. 
> 
> Thanks to @sweetsweetholiday (tumblr) for working with me, it was fun! I'd love to work with you again ^.^
> 
> Until next time,  
> \- D


End file.
